Working Hands of a Goddess

Tom Underhill

Description

The Working Hands of a Goddess is the story of how Atalanta BC rose from the lower reaches of Serie A to become Champions League quarter-finalists in just four years. The appointment of Gian Piero Gasperini as manager in 2016 changed the club's fortunes forever. Quickly making his mark, he developed a squad that play one of Europe's most scintillating brands of football, and upset the status quo by going toe-to-toe with the giants of the Italian game. The Working Hands of a Goddess analyses and details the tactics and systems that underpin this thrilling team, the stories and backgrounds of the unique players that define it, and the culture and history that not only produced a beautiful football team but a special club and city-wide community. When the pandemic rocked the community, Atalanta became far more than just a football team by uniting a city in strife.

Sujets

• Italy
• My Last Duchess

Informations

• Publié par: Pitch Publishing Ltd
• Date de parution: 18 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781801502955
• Langue: English

Extrait

First published by Pitch Publishing, 2022
Pitch Publishing
A2 Yeoman Gate
Yeoman Way
Durrington
BN13 3QZ
www.pitchpublishing.co.uk
Tom Underhill, 2022
Every effort has been made to trace the copyright. Any oversight will be rectified in future editions at the earliest opportunity by the publisher.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Publisher.
A CIP catalogue record is available for this book from the British Library
Print ISBN 9781801501439
eBook ISBN 9781801502955
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Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Beautiful Bergamo
Building La Dea
Silverware, and a long end to the century
2016/17: Atalanta s man of football
2017/18: Building on a foundation
2018/19: The wolf pack
2019/20: Winning, or learning
2020/21: Five years
The ultras
Centre-backs: Building from the back
Central midfield: More than just enablers
Wing-backs: The Gasperini archetypes
Forwards: Hidden geniuses
Following the unprecedented
Bibliography
Photos
Acknowledgements
WRITING THIS book during 2021, straddling my final year at university, and returning home in the midst of a pandemic, has been challenging. Watching the sport I so dearly love from different sofas across the west of England has been the norm for the majority of my life. However, when the image projected on to the screen is one of glorious green, banked by tens of thousands of empty seats, and the echo of ball hitting advertising hoarding, the emotions don t quite stir in the same way. I have never been lucky enough to have a Premier League club season ticket, and I have been limited to catching stray tickets from family contacts for my live Premier League fill, so I can hardly claim to have had a social crutch removed by the closure of stadiums to fans during the 2020/21 season. I can only imagine the pain and longing felt by those who follow their teams across the country, and even continent, to have had such a routine suspended for so long.
The events of April 2021 also served to twist and contort my love of football. As news broke of blindsided scheming by Europe s elite clubs to break away from their domestic competitions, and form their own closed door league, it was impossible not to feel like the game had truly been ripped from beneath our feet. The signs had been there for long enough to be taken seriously, of course. The rising price of tickets, the murky motives by murky individuals to buy football clubs, and even the grotesque pay-per-view model proposed by certain clubs and leagues as most of the globe was plunged into enforced lockdown in 2020. However, the blatancy and sheer contempt held for any notion of tradition or community was sickening. The story of course goes that the ineptitude of those involved was every bit as great as the grandeur of their scheme, and so the faintest pushback by the media and fan community saw the proposal topple. For now. The concept of a continental super league lies lurking in the shadows, and will no doubt rear its ugly head once again. Those brief, fleeting days, however, served to churn the stomach, and bring into question why we should even care about the game anymore. Why continue to invest such time and emotion into a beast that will eat itself whole, so quickly and readily?
However, it was from this very rubble of self-reflection and football-based introspection that I found the greatest will to write. The proposal had been submitted some months before April 2021, and the excitement had already begun to grow at the prospect of telling this rarest of stories. The anger and frustration felt towards those who deemed themselves above the rest turned into an even greater appreciation and love for what this club means to its fans. As special and unique as Atalanta are in the modern game, they are not alone. This book is for those who have felt disgusted by the swollen pockets of football, and find their joy in the clubs and institutions that remain rooted in their community, and identity.
Embarking on this project, having had the proposal accepted by the wonderful people at Pitch Publishing, my mind immediately turned to how I would write my acknowledgements. A backwards approach perhaps, but with my mind whirring like a montage compilation of faces for all whom I want to thank, I noted some thoughts down.
To Paige, my girlfriend and partner. Having met as 16-year-olds at college, we have since gone through university together and are now emerging on the other side, wondering where all that time went. I simply could not have done this without you, your support, and the time you have set aside to allow me to watch 22 men run and kick a ball around. I love you with all my heart.
To my mum, who always taught me to believe in myself, and follow my heart every bit as much as I follow my head. Without this mindset, I would be a lot less happy than I am now. To my dad, who would come home from work at 5.30pm only to be met by two boys already in their football or cricket gear, ready to go and play immediately. We never once heard you complain or protest, and it was these such moments that bred my obsession with sport. My younger brother Toby, for playing with me each and every day, and participating in our very own World Cup finals in the back garden, played with the ferocity (and even commentary) of a real event.
To Aid and Liv, for your endless support, I would simply not have started writing and doing what I love most were it not for your words of support and encouragement. I will always be so grateful to you both. Also to my oldest friends Fin, Dic and Jay for your enthusiasm and interest in what I was undertaking. It has helped and motivated me more than you know. Finally to my grandparents, family, in-laws, former teachers and lecturers. You all have produced an environment for me to attempt projects that I would once have been too nervous or anxious to try. Your enthusiasm and excitement for me to write a physical book with my name upon it has pushed me on through the hurdles to finish this labour of love.
Writing a book is by no means a solo process. There are a plethora of journalists, writers and people in the game who have offered their time and ears to me, and opened my eyes further to what is going on in Bergamo. In no particular order, thank you to: Gabriele Marcotti, Conor Clancy, Alex Stewart, Carlo Garganese, Martino Arese Simcik, Benny Giardina, Emanuele Giulianelli, Giordano Signorelli, Kenny Wastell, Olav Ouwerkerk, Ben Bocsak, Ninad Babardikar, Alvise Rogers and Luigi Sorrentino.
Ultimately, I must lay bare my love and appreciation to Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio. Nearly five years ago, I watched a side shorn of fear and self-doubt tear apart Everton over two group-stage matches in the Europa League. The style, swagger and spirit was infectious, and I knew I wanted to follow with a keener eye. The progress and climb since has been astonishing, not only in that it makes a glorious story about which I can write this book. In truth, my love and appreciation of this magnificent club, and all it stands for, has sustained my love of football. I hope sincerely that the following pages project this admiration, and that I can serve some level of justice to a team that has brought so much joy to so many people.
Introduction: Beautiful Bergamo
IT IS hard to know where to look when you stare down from the hill of Via San Vigilio. The Venetian walls of Bergamo s Citt Alta is widely regarded as the prime viewing position from which to view the entire city of Bergamo, yet Via San Vigilio puts even this to shame. This secluded summit is reached by funicular rail from the Citt Alta, which itself is connected to the lower Citt Bassa by a larger and more regular funicular link. This degree of separation is worth the extra transport link, so stunning are the sights around it.
Behind it lies the Bergamasque Alps that stretch and spread towards the Swiss border; their caps draped in snow and mist cloaks their midriff. To the front sits the sprawling city of Bergamo, drawing the eye to the pink stone of the Citt Alta s cathedral and bell tower that sit upon the upper town s peak like an ancient citadel. The Citt Bassa, Bergamo s modern lower city, spreads beyond it to reveal straight wide roads and the hustle and bustle of city life. The two juxtapose beautifully, and reveal two sides of a city that can be enjoyed in very different ways. On a clear day, if you stare closely enough, you can see the trains depart from Bergamo station and head 50km south-westerly for the high rises of Milan.
It is a view and landscape that finds new and hidden ways to surprise and enchant.
Take the funicular rail down into the Citt Alta and the senses are transported back centuries. The narrow cobbled streets wind at sharp angles through the towering terracotta-toned buildings that cast shadow on those who walk through them. Endless rows of caf s and eateries line the streets, with chairs spilling out into the piazza at each end and filled with the humdrum of relaxed conversation and leisure. It is difficult to resist the urge to sit at each and try their wares, let alone decide which is the best to eat at on that given day. The smell of pastry, coffee and cigar smoke seems to channel through the streets like a breeze blowing through a valley, gently persuading you to follow your feet down towards the upper city s lowest point. From there you can